What ARE you wearing?

I was out on Saturday night and noticed two women were looking at me and talking to each other. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but they were right behind my friends, so I kept seeing them out of the corner of my eye. Now, I think there are a lots of interesting people to look at in New York and I wouldn't assume I'd be one of the top choices. (This is New York City and there are loads of people who make their living by being interesting to look at!!) Still, it did seem like they were commenting on my outfit and that works with this story, so I'm going with that.

I didn't mind much because I happened to like what I was wearing (black shiny leggings, over the knee black boots and a black minidress with a bunch of snaps on the straps and hem). And I happened not to like what they were wearing. I remember high-waisted jeans, feathered hair, and sweater vests over blouses. Though to be honest, I think that's not actually what they looked like, just a flash back to junior high school when you'd expect two girls talking to each other about your outfit to look like that (if you're my generation anyway). It was a dark bar, it was late, I'd had a cocktail or two..ish...

Anyhow, I know it's common belief that women dress for each other and not for men, but this struck me as another nail in the coffin of that cliche. I wasn't dressing for them, certainly not! And I don't think other women dress for other women, either. Sure, junior high school girls probably do dress for each other because most of them aren't comfortable enough to stand out and express their individuality. But I believe adult women dress for themselves. Though on further reflection, I have to add that that's within a certain context, though that context can be broad. Most of us who work and interact with people on a regular basis don't walk around like Little Edie in Grey Gardens with a sweater on our heads and pinned together pants as a skirt (as an example...).

I met a friend of a friend recently who mentioned something in passing that gave me such a great visual image. He was the creative director at Vogue in the '80s and told me that, despite the short hair and long sleeved polo he was wearing when I met him, he, his wife, and his friends used to wear the whole aggro '80s leather fashion gear when hanging out in the East Village and going to clubs. Leather jumpsuits in daytime, whatever. I did come to New York in the '80s a few times, but I never saw anything like that in the audience at Cats or in the Met, so the cultural references that popped into my head were Desperately Seeking Susan and the scene from National Lampoon's European Vacation when they went shopping in Milan and came out in these crazy outfits.

Anyway, his little story prompts me to ask who he was dressing for - was the leather jumpsuit for his wife, as a sign that he was in a certain crowd, or purely because he liked it? The men I have shopped with or for have pretty definite ideas about what they like and don't like, so I don't believe you all throw on any old thing (unless that's your look). So, who do you dress for? Women? Men? As an identification badge showing your place in society? Yourselves? or all of the above? Have you thought about it? (do you care?)